The pros and cons of antidepressants

A few months into our move here in 2014, I became very stressed. The uncertainty of this major adventure had overwhelmed me, so I started taking a low dose of Paxil. Surprisingly, my doctor told me nothing about the side effects and long-term problems that might occur. It took a new friend to finally inform me how detrimental that 10 mgs could be to my health. She said it can cause problems with weight gain and decreased libido.

Now I’m no idiot. I knew there would be side effects, but gaining back the weight I worked so hard to lose back in 2011, I wasn’t expecting.

I am now in the process of cutting my dose in half. I want out of SSRI dependency. But, of course, this isn’t simple either. It turns out Paxil is one of the most difficult SSRIs to get off of without major problems. Apparently this can effect my brain’s acetylcholine production. I have learned that I need to supplement my levels of choline, lecithin and other B vitamins to lessen the effects of Paxil withdrawal.

Luckily there are dietary changes that help:

“Lecithin and choline can be found in a wide variety of foods, but many of the richest sources are foods also high in cholesterol and fat. Egg yolks are one of the best dietary sources of lecithin/choline. Other excellent sources of dietary choline are beef steak, liver, organ meat, spinach, soybeans, cauliflower, wheat germ, peanuts, and brewer’s yeast.”

I’ll let you know how this process goes for me, but in the meantime, please give some thought to the prescription drugs you are presently taking. Are they helping enough to be worth their side effects? Inform yourself about what other problems they can cause.

Both my husband and my mother in law were on Paxil at one time or another. I wish you the best of luck, because I feel this is a medication where the side effects have to be carefully explained by your doctor – I’m sure there are those who benefit, but for both my family members, it was a struggle to recover from what that medication did to them. As you said, it was a struggle.

My concern for you is that with a history of head injuries this type of medication could cause more side effects than those listed, and could be more severe. Can’t help but think you did not receive adequate guidance from your MD. Now, I do wish you the best weaning off the drug.

YES! Thanks for your concern. Last night I experienced visual and auditory hallucinations, something I’ve never seen before! I couldn’t figure out where these strange sounds were coming from in the middle of the night…